


She Believed

by megoettee



Category: Ben 10 Series
Genre: Anger, Emotional Fallout, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2018-10-13 23:14:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10523952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megoettee/pseuds/megoettee
Summary: A collection of drabbles dedicated to Gwendolyn Tennyson's indomitable spirit, her staggering dedication, her resounding loyalty and, most importantly, her relationship with Kevin Levin. (All ignorant of Omniverse. As it should be.)





	1. Strength in a Shattered World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am literally all over the place in my fandoms right now. (Is Fandom ADD a thing?)
> 
> Gwevin is quite possibly my OTP. I always come back to them. But, sadly, there's never any new material.
> 
> The first two of these drabbles are just reposted/crossposted from an old account on FanFiction.net while the rest are the result of my current revisitation to the fandom. Enjoy!
> 
> (Also...? Try having the below song on low volume repeat while you read. It adds to the experience.)
> 
> Song: He Films The Clouds, Pt. 2  
> Artist: Maybeshewill

Gwen forced herself to push past the pain. Past the tightening in her chest and the burning in her calves. She ignored the angry thrum of her heart and the tortuous sting of the newly formed blisters on her feet.

She didn't know where she was headed. Or even where she had been. Her awareness was jumbled. The events of the past few nights clouding her thoughts. Sending them out of control.

Gwen didn't like not being in control.

A gentle summer breeze kept her cool as she ran through the deserted streets. No one with any sense would be out at this hour. It was just her and the night.

She was blind to it's beauty. The twinkling of the stars. The chirping of the crickets. The way the full moon illuminated her path.

Gwen Tennyson's only respite was the quiet sound of the music flowing from the one tiny bud nestled in her left ear. She settled in on the rhythm, her shoes connecting with the pavement on each beat.

Memories floated through her mind. Images flashing in quick succession. All centered around _him_. His face, his eyes, his kiss, the _thing_ that had overpowered him. Voices circled her thoughts like vultures over a potential meal.

_I deserve that power. **I'm** the one who gets turned into a monster. **I'm** the one nobody ever trusts or cares about!_

She pushed herself harder. Faster. Afraid that if she stopped, if she looked back, it would all come crashing. And it would never end.

So, she pushed herself. Until her lungs burned. Until the pain in her muscles became almost unbearable.

And then she pushed herself even harder.

_You are a Plumber, Gwen! A lot of people are depending on you. You've got to put your feelings aside and do what's right._

She shook her head at the memory. Chased the sound of her grandfather's reprimand from her mind. Her teeth clenched in anger as her eyes narrowed on the path ahead of her.

Her _grandfather_. Her own flesh and blood. The one who always understood her, who would always stick up for her. He _knew_ what the Osmosian meant to her. They all did. She could _still_ remember the nearly tangible panic when she'd realized Ben's intentions. Felt the ghostly fingers in a vise-like grip about her lungs, tightening as time drew on. As her cousin grew more and more determined.

 _Wake up and smell the end of the world, Gwen. He's out of control._  
He's our friend!  
**Was** our friend.

A sound, strangled and broken, bubbled up from her throat. The prickling sensation behind her eyes increasing with each stride.

Gwen blinked rapidly, fighting the blurriness threatening her vision. She wasn't going to be _that_ girl. She was strong. Independent. Self-reliant. She'd proven her strength over and over. She _wasn't_ about to fall apart over some stupid boy.

Her breaths became shorter, more punctuated gasps, her lungs fighting for air as everything spiraled out of her control.

 _This is_ **your** fault. You could've helped me with your magic.  
No. I tried...  
You tried. Everybody tried. But here I am a monster. And if I look the part, why shouldn't I act it?

She faltered, choking back an agonized sob. The dam now broken, Gwen slowed to a stop and pressed the back of her hand to her lips. She clenched her eyes shut. Fought to regain control. Fell to her knees as her body shook from the effort.

She felt the cool grass between her fingers. Fisted clumps of it as she struggled with her emotions. Happy he was alive. Sad for what he'd been through. Anger for having put him through it.

She felt the anger most substantially. Anger at her family. Her friends. Herself. Felt it bubble up to the surface, pushing her other emotions to the backseat.

The sound of a car door behind her alerted her to his presence. Had the young Anodite jerking her gaze upward to take stock of her surroundings. Momentarily startled by her location, Gwen glanced up at the familiar tree with her grandparent's carving. _The one place..._

She knew who stood behind her. Could feel his energy permeating the air around them. Knew he had stopped a good ten feet away.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," Kevin said.

His voice was uncharacteristically soft and gentle. As if he were dealing with a child.

She _wasn't_ that girl. She wasn't one of those fragile little things he used to flirt with. She was strong. She was brave. She was Gwen Tennyson.

"I wanted to talk to you. _Needed_ to talk to you, Gwen. I needed to make sure we... **you** were okay."

She sucked in a breath at the sound of his quiet plea. Hung her head and clenched her eyes shut. Remained deathly silent.

"I pretty much killed my engine trying to get back to your house after dropping Ben off," he told her after what seemed like hours. "You weren't there."

She sat there, staring at the soft grass beneath her. Her anger building as he continued to talk. His voice. She had been so close to never hearing it again. Had come so close to losing him forever.

"...Ben told me what you did. Told me he'd try to help in-"

As quick as a switch, she rounded on him, flinging manna in his general direction as the anger coursed through her. Kevin blinked but quickly recovered from the shock and dodged her poorly aimed attacks.

"Whoa, whoa! GWEN! Cut it out! It's me! Kevin!" he shouted.  
"You nearly DIED! Ben was going to KILL you!"

She lost sight of him as the dust and falling debris settled. She could hear him though, his lungs heaving as he tried to catch his breath before she began hurling the pink orbs at him once more.

"He was doing what he thought was right," Kevin shouted, dodging more of her attacks.  
"He was going to **_kill_** you," she said angrily. "His _friend_. Since when is that the _right_ thing to do?"

Gwen heard him sigh.

"He was doing his-"

Angered by his response, Gwen screamed in frustration, energy pouring from every cell in her body. Her eyes glowed as flung more manna disks in the direction of his voice. Her body began to levitate off the ground as the anger coursed through her.

"Don't you dare say it, Kevin Levin. You were... **are**...still his friend. There were other ways. Options he didn't even want to _consider_ ," she said angrily. "He and everyone around us, everyone that had gotten to know the true Kevin, they were all so quick to want to take you down. To destroy you completely."

She couldn't find him. He'd disappeared. The angered panic in her chest blossomed until she felt strong arms wrap around her from behind. She slowly sank back to the ground, the glow fading until she was normal Gwen Tennyson again. She felt him turn her so that she was facing him, his arms enveloping her tiny frame.

Felt him press her against himself and hold her there.

"They were protecting **_you_** , Gwen," he said, his words slightly muffled against the crown of her head. "I was the one destroying innocent people's lives. I was putting you in da-"  
"That wasn't you," she cried softly.  
"Then who was it, Gwen?" he said, pulling back from their embrace.

She moved to answer but he cut her off.

"I remember everything, Gwen. I remember the way I hurt you. I remember every blow you took. Every little thing I flung your way. I remember your face. Your eyes. The way you never gave up no mattered how bruised and battered you were. I hated you for it. For making me do it to you. I remember everything. It was me. I could have _killed_ you, Gwen!" he growled, linking his hands behind his head in frustration. "Don't you get it? **_I_** was the one who absorbed the power and transformed. It wasn't Ben. It wasn't Max. It wasn't any one else. **_I_** chose to do it. And **_I_** chose to deal with those consequences."

Gwen stepped back as the sickening realization hit her. She searched his face for some small clue that it wasn't true. That it was all her imagination.

"You knew."

She felt as if she'd taken a blow to the stomach. As if she suddenly couldn't breathe. The world spun beneath her as she fought to maintain control. Frowning, she returned her gaze to his hardened features.

"You _knew_ that you wouldn't be able to control it."

"Fighting it the first time was hard enough. I was a kid and had Kwarrel to help guide me. This time the aliens were stronger. With the addition of Ultimates and no outside guidance...? The odds were always against me, Gwen."

"You knew he'd try to kill you. Would succeed even."

Gwen began to shake her head, her eyes wide from disbelief. She continued to step back from him. This person who had willingly bartered his life.

"Aggregor would have killed **_you_** , Gwen. I couldn't live with that. Especially having known I had the power to stop him."  
"At the price of losing your own life!" she argued, tears once again falling.

Kevin was silent for a moment, just watching her. He then relaxed his shoulders and sucked in a breath, moving towards the young Anodite to take her small hands in his own.

"I was willing to take that risk."  
"No!" she shouted, ripping away from his grasp. "That's not fair!"

"Drop it, Gwen. We all knew something like this was bound to happen sometime," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets as he watched her. "I'm not good like you guys. And I never will be."

She whirled on him to argue, her eyes narrowed, a faint glow once again wreathing her body. But the Osmosian quickly shook his head.

"No, Gwen. I may have pulled a 180 from that first mission. Heck. I may even be considered a good guy now. But I will never be as pure and honorable as the two of you. You have a heart of gold," he said. "Mine? Mine's more like taedanite. It's great and all but...hard. And cold."

He cautiously moved towards her, silencing her protests, wrapping her in his arms when he got close enough.

"I consider it my duty to protect that goodness in you. To keep you safe and untainted," he told her softly, pressing a light kiss to the top of her head.

Gwen remained quiet for a long time. The fabric of his shirt clutched beneath her fingers as she breathed in his scent. Her eyes closed, she allowed herself to relax against him. To relish the feeling of the warm muscles flickering beneath the surface of his clothes. He was alive. She just had to keep reminding herself of that.

" _Please_ ," she whispered, her voice betraying her. "Don't leave me again."

Kevin smiled against the fiery red of her hair.

"I promise."


	2. No Regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in the future (years after UA finale), Gwen has reservations about their relationship. Kevin puts them to rest quickly and easily.

A quick intake of breath. Eyes jerking open in fear. Heart pounding. Blood pumping. A thin layer of sweat covering her body.

It took a minute for Gwen to adjust to the darkness. To see that it had all been a dream. To allow the frenzied panic to subside, leaving an empty ache in it’s place.

She blinked rapidly, attempting to rid her mind of the images created. The awful, stomach-churning sensations she’d felt. It had been so real.

Gwen sucked in a slow breath. Focused on the quiet rise and fall of his chest. Felt the muscles shift beneath her hand as he adjusted in his sleep, drawing her closer to his side.

The young Anodite remained perfectly still. She neither cooperated nor resisted. His warmth acted as a small reassurance. Another reminder that it had only been a dream.

A soft whimper escaped her lips and the redhead’s wide gaze instantly jerked to his face. Waited.

When he remained motionless, she let out the breath she’d been holding but continued to watch him. To study the unruffled, serene expression gracing his features as he slept.

Gwen envied the way he could sleep so soundly.

She let out a small sigh and focused on his breathing. Made sure he was still fast asleep. She then let her gaze travel to her hand, resting on the firm muscle of his chest, and lifted each finger, one by one, until she could slowly pull away. She peeled herself from his side, pausing as he momentarily shifted in his sleep.

Gwen smiled as he mumbled something indiscernible before turning on his side.

She didn’t know at what point the Osmosian had come to mean so much to her. Couldn’t pinpoint an exact moment in time. Just knew that he had, in fact, become an almost integral part of her life. That the mere thought of him not being there was unbearable.

She quietly slid from the bed, careful not to disturb him.

Just before she slipped through the door, Gwen stole one last glance at the man amongst the rumpled sheets. Allowed her eyes to retrace the lines of his face, the slope of his neck, the indention of his waist, the way the sheet fell over his hip, covering the---sucking in a deep breath, she shook her head and quietly escaped the bedroom.

Bare feet padded across the worn carpet and into the small living space.

Light poured from the refrigerator, illuminating the small kitchen, as she frowned at the contents and closed the door again. Gwen winced as she glanced at the clock on the coffee pot. Wrapping her arms around her middle, she sighed and looked around before quietly moving towards the french doors that overlooked their balcony and the city.

Long minutes passed in silence as she stared, unmoving.

“You’ll catch a cold just standing around in my shirt like that.”

Gwen jumped at the sound of his voice, still gravelly from sleep, and turned to face him.

“Did I wake you up?”  
“Yes and no,” Kevin chuckled, scratching the back of his head.

They stood there for a moment. Just looking at each other until he effortlessly closed the distance between them. Kevin smiled, slipping his hands around her waist as he lowered his mouth for a kiss.

He eventually pulled back and Gwen’s eyelids fluttered open. Staring up at him, she slowly let the heels of her feet lower back to the ground. Her gaze drifted down the column of his neck, skimming the wide expanse of his shoulders, to finally rest on where her hands lay on his chest.

A moment’s contemplative pause and Gwen was frowning. Thinking. Wondering.

“Do you regret any of it?” she whispered suddenly.

She didn’t didn’t look up. Didn’t want to see his reaction. Was afraid of his answer. Gwen Tennyson knew what she felt. But it was never that easy. Never that simple.

He didn’t answer right away. This realization caused her breath to catch in her throat as she moved to step back. An acute pain began to build behind her eyes as her hands quietly slipped from his warmth.

Until his fingers wrapped around her wrists, holding her captive, shackling her to the spot.

Gwen’s gaze instantly jerked to his face. Their eyes locked.

She swallowed, paralyzed by the intensity of the connection. His features had hardened. His jaw clenched, muscles twitching. She could tell he was holding something back. He didn’t want to tell her. Didn’t want her to know.

She felt her stomach drop. Felt her heart begin to shrivel. Forced herself to look away. To retreat into the protective shell she’d built during her school days.

“Jesus, Gwen! I haven’t even said anything,” he muttered in frustration.

Kevin dropped his hold of her wrists and stepped back to run his hands through his hair.

Gwen watched him close his eyes. Watched his head fall back on a groan. She, however, didn’t move. Didn’t display any awareness of the sudden chill creeping in. Or of the fact that he was what had been keeping it at bay.

She held herself still, one arm clasping the other in an attempt to control what remained. To not fall apart right there in the living room. In front of him.

Kevin sighed and looked at her, his expression impassive.

“Yes,” he said simply.

Gwen blinked and frowned.

“Yes, I have regrets,” he elaborated.

She quickly schooled her features to match his own impassivity. She’d set herself up for this. Now, she would have to deal with the consequences of that choice.

“Gwen,” he said with a sigh.

Kevin moved towards her, his arms held out in front of him to wrap around her tiny frame. She stiffened at the contact. Feebly struggled against him as he pulled her closer. But she didn’t have the strength or willpower to fight it for very long. He was her weakness. She eventually felt herself give in to the warmth and promise his embrace offered and melted in his arms.

Her breath hitched and Gwen felt him press his lips against the crown of her head.

“Will you let me finish first?”

She closed her eyes and waited.

“Yes, I have regrets,” he continued, pulling her away from him. “I regret all those years I spent working for the wrong side. Every single time I tried to kill your cousin. Every prank, every lie, every deceit. I regret my entire childhood, Gwen.”

Gwen moved to say something. To salvage what she could. But he quickly held a finger to her lips and shook his head.

“It was my own fault. No one else's. I have to take responsibility.”

She moved back in, slipping her arms around his waist as the silence enveloped them. Long moments passed before Kevin drew in a shaky breath to continue.

“My biggest regret? Every moment I wasted not getting to know you. Not making a move.”

Gwen stiffened and looked up at him. Saw the emotions flickering across his face as he stared unseeing at the wall.

“So yes. I regret a lot,” he said, looking down at her. “But I’m done now. I haven’t regretted a single moment with you. I never will.”

Gwen bit down on her lip.

“But you gave up ever---”  
“No. Letting you go would have been giving up everything.”

Kevin held her out at arms length, leaning down to look her in the eyes.

“You know that, right? You’re my life. I have no regrets anymore. I lo---” he stumbled over the word. Closed his eyes and set his features before looking at her again.

“I love you, Gwendolyn Tennyson,” he said with determination, visibly relaxing after saying it. “That ring on your finger? It means I’m in it for good. I’m not going anywhere.”

He leaned down to whisper close to her ear.

“ _I don’t want to_.”

Kevin pulled back and looked her, wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled.

“Do you understand?”

Gwen nodded quietly, trying desperately to hold herself together. Kevin pulled the Anodite into a tight embrace as she let out a tearful bark of laughter.

This was going to work. It had to. Regrets were a thing of the past. This was their future. This was the rest of their lives.

She now had all she’d ever dreamed of as a little girl.

Comfort, protection, a friend....love. And he’d finally said it. Finally acknowledged the nebulous _thing_ between them. The power that drove each of them in their relationship.

He’d said he **loved** her.

And to Gwen...? That was all that mattered.


	3. Fault

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of 2. A darker and more introspective short fix that I may or may not build on. Stay tuned for it’s follow up soon!

He was close. Close enough for her to feel the slimy warmth of his breath at the nape of her neck.

“ _You can’t fool me, silly girl_ ,” he whispered, the words slithering over her skin.

A gloved finger gently pushed the hair away from her neck.

A hum of dark satisfaction chilled the air as his fingers ghosted over her cheek. Trailed down the column of her throat and traced her collarbone down to the center of her chest. Paused.

“You see, my dear, I’ve had time to learn since our last encounter,” he said, slowly retreating into the darkness. “Time to watch. To adjust.”

Gwen remained motionless. Her gaze locked ahead of her. Impassive.

A sinister chuckle echoed throughout the room. The shadows seemingly multiplying the pure malice. The sound... _twisted_. Corrupted. Vengeful.

“It’s no use hiding it, little girl. I can _feel_ your fear,” he said.

Gwen’s muscles remained rigid. Locked tight against the rising emotion.

“The quickening of your heartbeat. The vise locked about your lungs. The shift in awareness. Even the panic building in your chest,” he said. “ _I can sense it all._ ”

Gwen resisted the urge to jump at the feel of his breath on her neck. Small strands of her hair danced over her skin as the soft, maniacal laughter continued to set her off balance.

“Where are Kevin and Ben?” she asked, her gaze remaining forward.   
“Oh. They’re close...”

Zombozo’s face suddenly appeared in front of her. Bathed in full light he didn’t seem the same clown as before. This villain was older. Weaker. Wrinkles made him appear haggard. Deep bruises beneath his eyes left him looking sickly and tired.

He pulled back again. Retreated into the darkness. A low chuckle filling the room.

“Remember our last visit, Gwenny? Hmm?” he asked.

She made no movement. Showed no emotion. No recognition.

“Well, allow me to...jog your memory.”

Suddenly, they were transported back to the very same tent. The tent where she’d taken it upon herself to personally see to the safety of their families and friends. They stood just beyond the shadows and watched the recreation of her powerful threat.

“After this little _debacle_ ,” Zombozo said, the characters fading but the scene remaining set. “I took it upon myself to do a little research.”

His chuckle was smug, lending power to his position over her.

"The things I found out, Gwendolyn. Oh," he grinned, rubbing his hands together as he circled her. "I haven't given you enough credit, dear. You Anodites are the most _fascinating_ creatures."

He stopped and, almost lovingly, ran his fingers through her hair.

"Hmmm," he hummed in satisfaction. "But see. You're one of the special ones, Gwenny. Aren't you?"

He leaned in and whispered, "That's what makes this so much fun."

" _Where is my team?_ " she ground out.

"Yes, yes. We'll get to that in a minute."

He snapped his fingers and the imagery of the room wavered. Gone was the open air tent from years before. Replaced by the cold, dusty interrogation room of an abandoned police station.

"I found out that, as powerful as you are now, that power comes...shall we say... _tethered_.”

The clown practically bounced in anticipation, a certain gleeful darkness hidden beneath his visage.

He chuckled and sat across from her, propping his legs on the table and his hands in his lap.

“Oh, Gwenny,” he grinned.

The atmosphere shifted again to darkness. She could only feel his presence. Knew he was there but unaware of his location.

“Your weakness, my dear...”

Gwen stiffened at the feeling of his breath in her ear.

“...is that tether.”

Suddenly, screams filled the room. Agonized and desperate.

Darkness continued to surround her but Gwen could swear she felt it getting smaller. Closing in around her.

“Your power is only a fraction of your potential, Miss Tennyson,” Zombozo informed her over the screams. “You refuse to harness the rest because to do so would mean leaving this... _body_ of yours.”

Gwen closed her eyes against the darkness. Against Zombozo’s attempts to frighten and distract. She pulled in a steadying breath to focus and think.

_Where were the boys? What had Zombozo done? How would she save them?_

“What’s funny is that your corporeal body isn’t what’s tethering you here, my dear girl,” the clown’s voice explained.

A single light switched on above her and the screams died with it.

“Oh no. No, what’s kept you here is much more interesting than that.”

There was a thump a foot away and Gwen dared to open her eyes.

What she saw robbed her of breath.

Kevin’s body lay beaten and bloodied at her feet.


End file.
